Electric foot-warming hassock



April 12, 1955 J. l.. HARE ETAL ELECTRIC FOOT-WARMING HASSOCK Filed Oct.l5, 1952 QN mm QNl United States Patent O ELECTRIC FOOT-WARMING HASSOCKJack L. Hare, Los Angeles, and Kathryn E. Hare, Long Beach, Calif.

Application October 13, 1952, Serial No. 314,514 4 Claims. (Cl. 219-19)The present invention relates generally to the iield of foot-warmingdevices, and more particularly to a novel electrically heatedfoot-warming hassock.

There have been heretofore proposed many types of foot-warming devicesadapted to provide heat to human feet. Certain of such foot-warmingdevices have taken the form of foot stools or hassocks whereby theymight be utilized in a dwelling much in the same manner as aconventional foot stool or hassock. Such heretofore proposed deviceshave failed to gain wide acceptance, however, primarily because of theirunattractive appearance whereby their use in a dwelling would detractfrom the appearance thereof.

It is a major object of the present invention to provide an electricfoot-warming hassock having the external configuration of a conventionalhassock when not in use. By reason of this feature the electricfoot-warming hassock of the present invention may have an attractiveappearance and may be utilized to perform the function of a conventionalhassock when it is not in use.

It is a further object of the present invention to provide an electricfoot-warming hassock which is adapted to support a users feet at acomfortable angle while it is being used to provide warmth therefor.

It is yet a further object of the present invention to provide anelectric foot-warming hassock which will provide adequate warmth to boththe feet and the ankles of the user without exposing the users feet orankles alone to excessive heat.

An additional object of the present invention is to provide an electricfoot-warming hassock incorporating means for automatically connectingthe heating unit thereof to a source of electric current when thehassock is placed in use, which means will also automatically disconnectsuch electric current when the hassock is not being used in itsfoot-warming capacity.

It is yet another object of the present invention to provide an electricfoot-warming hassock which is simple of design and rugged ofconstruction whereby it may be sold at a comparatively low price and mayhave along troublefree service life.

Other objects and advantages of the present invention will becomeapparent from the following detailed description of a preferredembodiment thereof when taken in conjunction with the appended drawingswherein:

Figure 1 is a general perspective view of an electric foot-warminghassock embodying the present invention;

Figure 2 is an enlarged vertical sectional View taken on line 2-2 ofFigure 1; and,

Figure 3 is an enlarged vertical sectional view taken on line 3-3 ofFigure 1.

Referring to the drawings, the preferred form of electric foot-warminghassock embodying the present invention broadly comprises a main bodygenerally designated formed with an opening 12; a door generallydesignated 14 mounted in the opening 12, which door incorporateselectric heater means 16; and switch means, generally designated 18, forautomatically connecting the heater unit 16 with a source of electriccurrent (not shown) when the door 14 is moved into the interior of themain body 10 by a users feet 20.

More particularly, the main body 10 may be fabricated from a generallyrectangular metallic frame 21 to which are rigidly secured flat platemembers 22 of wooden or metallic material. A flexible external covering24 is shown disposed over the plate members 22. Conveniently, thisexternal covering 24 may take the form of natural ICC or artificialleather. It is desirable to till the space between the plates 22 and thecovering 24 with a tireproof and heat-insulating padding material 26,such as asbestos or the like.

The door 14 will preferably be made up of a flat plate 28 over which issecured a exible external covering 30. The heating element 16 is shownrigidly secured to the plate element 28, and the space between theheating unit 16 and the external covering 30 is shown filled bylireproof padding 32 similar to that designated 26 utilized in lillingthe space between plate elements 22 and covering 24 of the main body 10.

The lower portion of the door 14 is shown pivotally mounted to the mainbody 10 whereby it may be rotated from its normal position shown inFigure 1 to its inclined position shown in Figure 3. Preferably, themeans for mounting the door to the body will comprise a pair of hinges34. The pin elements 36 of these hinges are seen to mount helical coilsprings 38. It is the function of these springs 38 to normally bias thedoor 14 to an upright 2position wherein it will substantially cover theopening 1 A stop member, generally designated 40, is shown mounted bythe base of the main body 10. Preferably, this stop member will be ofmetallic construction and will include a base 41 which is shown securedto the bottom plate 22 by a pair of bolt and nut combinations 42. Theupper portion of the stop member 40 is seen to be formed with a atsurface 43 disposed at an angle to the vertical adapted to abut theunderside of the door 14 when the latter is urged into the interior ofthe main body 10 by a users feet. This surface 43 should be so arrangedas to hold the door 14 at an angle which will provide maximum comfort tothe users feet when the door is in its inner position.

The switch 18 may conveniently be of the plunger type having a plunger44 which is in an on position wherein it forms an electric contact whendepressed into the body of the switch. The switch is shown mounted bythe upper portion of the stop member 40 whereby the plunger 44 will bedepressed by the door 14 when the latter is moved to its inner position.The plunger 44 is normally biased to its off position by spring means(not shown). With this arrangement, when the hassock is not being usedas a foot-warming device the door 14 will be in an upright position andthe switch will be in its ofi position. At such time as the door 14 ismoved to its inner position by a users feet, however, the switch will beautomatically urged to its on position whereby the heater unit 16 willbe connected to a source of electric current.

The connection of the switch 18 and the heater unit 16 with a source ofelectric current may take place through the medium of conductor wires 46and 46', which wires merge in a cord 47. Preferably, the main body 10will mount an adjustable thermostat 48 whereby the temperature of theheater unit may be controlled so as to provide maximum comfort to theuser of the hassock. This thermostat 48 is shown connected to the switch18 and to the heater unit 16 by conductor wires 50 and 50.

The preferred form of heater unit 16 will comprise a generally U-shapedmetallic film-pack type electrical resistance heating element, as shownin Figure 2. The opposite legs of this element are seen to mount bindingposts and nuts 52 for receiving conductor wires 46' and 50. Thefilm-pack type heating unit shown in the drawings is inexpensive andalso very sturdy whereby it offers decided advantages over other typesof electric heating means.

In the interest of safety, the major constituents of the preferred formof electric foot-warming hassock will be non-combustible. It shouldadditionally be noted that the ankles of a user as well as his feet willbe warmed when the hassock is utilized in its foot-warming capacity.This is true inasmuch as the interior of the main body will retain themajor portion of the heat created by the heater unit because of theheat-insulating qualities of the padding 26, and as' seen in Figure 3,the users ankles as well as his feet are encompassed by the main body.

Although there has been described what is at present considered to bethe preferred embodiment of the present invention, it will be apparentthat modifications and changes may be made thereto without departingfrom the spirit of the invention or the scope of the appended claims.

We claim:

1. An electric foot-warming hassock, comprising: a main body whichincludes a generally rectangular metal frame to which are secured ilatplate members, a flexible covering material disposed over said platemember, and reproof, heat-insulating padding disposed between saidplates and said covering material; a rectangular opening formed in oneside wall of said main body; a door for covering said opening whichincludes a flat plate member, exible covering material disposed oversaid plate mernber, and reproof padding disposed between said platemember and said covering material; a at electric heater unit secured tothe ilat plate member of said door; hinge means interconnecting thelower portion of said door to said main body permitting said door to bepivotally urged into the interior of said body by a users feet; springmeans carried by said hinge means normally biasing said door to anupright position wherein it covers said opening; a stop member mountedby the lower portion of said main body, the upper portion of said stopmember being formed with a flat surface disposed at an angle to thevertical adapted to abut the underside of said door so as to restrainits inward movement past an angle which will provide maximum comfort toa users feet; an electric switch mounted by the upper portion of saidstop member, said switch having a plunger adapted to be depressed bycontact with the underside of said door when it is moved against said atsurface, the depression of said plunger urging said switch to its onposition, said plunger normally being biased outwardly whereby saidswitch will be in an off position when said door is in its normalupright position; an adjustable electric thermostat mounted in theinterior of said main body; and conductor wires interconnecting saidheater unit and said thermostat with an electric cord adapted to beconnected to a source of electric current.

2. An electric foot-warming hassock, comprising: a main body whichincludes a generally rectangular metal frame to which are secured tlatplate members, a flexible covering material disposed over said platemember, and ireproof, heat-insulating padding disposed between saidplates and said covering material; a rectangular opening formed in oneside wall of said main body; a door for covering said opening whichincludes a flat plate member, flexible covering material disposed oversaid plate member, and tireproof padding disposed between said platemember and said covering material; a generally U-shaped film-pack typeelectric resistance heater unit secured to the at plate member of saiddoor; hinge means interconnecting the lower portion of said door to saidmain body permitting said door to be pivotally urged into the interiorof said body by a users feet; spring means carried by said hinge meansnormally biasing said door to an upright position wherein it covers saidopening; a stop member mounted by the lower portion of said main body,the upper portion of said stop member being formed with a flat surfacedisposed at an angle to the vertical adapted to abut the underside ofsaid door so as to restrain its inward movement past an angle which willprovide maximum comfort to a users feet; an electric switch mounted bythe upper portion of said stop member, said switch having a plungeradapted to be depressed by contact with the underside of said door whenit is moved against said flat surface, the depression of said plungerurging said switch to its on position, said plunger normally beingbiased outwardly whereby said switch will be in an off position whensaid door is in its normal upright position; an adjustable electricthermostat mounted in the interior of said main body; and conductorwires interconnecting said heater unit and said thermostat with anelectric cord adapted to be connected to a source of electric current.

3. An electric foot-warming hassock, comprising: a main body whichincludes a generally rectangular metal frame to which are secured flatplate members, a flexible covering material disposed over said platemember, and reproof, heat-insulating padding disposed between saidplates and said covering material; a rectangular opening formed in oneside wall of said main body; a door for covering said opening whichincludes a at plate member, exible covering material disposed over saidplate member, and iireproof padding disposed between said plate memberand said covering material; a at electric heater unit secured to the atplate member of said door; hinge means interconnecting the lower portionof said door to said main body permitting said door to be pivotallyurged intov the interior of said body by a users feet; spring meanscarried by said hinge means normally biasing said door to an uprightposition wherein it covers said openings; a stop member mounted by thelower portion of said main body, the upper portion of said stop memberbeing formed with a llat surface disposed at an angle to the vertical,adapted to abut the underside of said door so as to restrain its inwardmovement past an angle which will provide maximum comfort to a usersfeet; an electric switch mounted by the upper portion of said stopmember, said switch having a plunger adapted to be depressed by contactwith the underside of said door when it is moved against said atsurface, the depression of said plunger urging said switch to its onposition, said plunger normally being biased outwardly whereby saidswitch will be in an off position when said door is in its normalupright position; and, conductor wires interconnecting said heater unitwith an electric cord adapted to be connected to a source of electriccurrent.

4. An electric foot-warming hassock, comprising: a main body; an openingformed in one side wall of said main body; a door for covering saidopening which includes a at plate member; a at electric heater unitsecured to the at plate member of said door; hinge means interconnectingthe lower portion of said door to said main body permitting said door tobe pivotally urged into 4the interior of said body by a users feet;spring means carried by said hinge means normally biasing said door toan upright position wherein it covers said opening; a stop membermounted by the lower portion of said main body, the upper portion ofsaid stop member being formed with a iiat surface disposed at an angleto the vertical adapted to abut the underside of said door so as torestrain its inward movement past an angle which will provide maximumcomfort to a users feet; an electric switch mounted by the upper portionof said stop member, said switch having a plunger adapted to bedepressed by contact with the underside of said door when it is movedagainst said at surface, the depression of said plunger urging saidswitch to its on position, said plunger normally being biased outwardlywhereby said switch will be in an off position when said door is in itsnormal upright position; an adjustable electric thermostat mounted inthe interior of said main body; and conductor wires interconnecting saidheater unit and said thermostat with an electric cord adapted to beconnected to a source of electric current.

References Cited in the le of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS1,443,036 Panza Jan. 23, 1923 1,566,986 Simmons Dec. 22, 1925 2,004,937Fletcher June 18, 1935 2,184,858 Goodman Dec. 26, 1939 2,471,221Lindstrom May 24, 1949 2,513,733 Morris July 4, 1950 2,617,005 JorgensenNov. 4, 1952

